Can The F1 Survive?

can the gpwc pull it off?

The obstacles facing F1 paint a rosy picture for the GPWC consortium, but not everyone is a believer. At least one prominent sports marketing consultant thinks that a rival circuit to F1 will not succeed. Jan Wendt, vice president of motor sports at the German firm SportFive, says the carmakers would need to invest a huge chunk of change up front in order to get the GPWC off the ground.

Wendt estimated the annual cost of running a breakaway series at more than $100 million — per car manufacturer. Moreover, with two leagues in the picture, such an investment would be just as risky as it would be substantial.

past league rivalries

A look back through sporting history suggests that two Grand Prix leagues could not successfully co-exist. Think back to the '80s when football fans could enjoy both the National Football League and United States Football League. The USFL couldn't survive, and eventually sued the NFL, claming that the larger league had a de facto monopoly on the game's best players. Because the USFL failed to prove the heart of their case, they received only a token award: a check for $1.

In the '90s, Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling rose to prominence, giving the longtime powerhouse World Wrestling Federation a tough challenge. WCW's fan base skyrocketed when Turner acquired WWF stars such as Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. It seemed that the WCW was on course to eventually outpace the WWF. WWF owner Vince McMahon prevented this outcome by buying the WCW and merging it into his own organization.

In auto racing, too, we've seen rival leagues face off. Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) was first formed in 1978, after the United States Auto Club rejected a proposal to create a 12-person board with six representatives from USAC and six from the teams. The new organization ran smoothly for many years, but in the '90s, CART board member Tony George felt the promoters and track owners did not have enough of a voice. In response, he formed the Indy Racing League. For several years, fans enjoyed a rivalry between the IRL and CART drivers. A victor emerged when CART declared bankruptcy in 2003.

gentlemen, start your engines

The outcome of the CART/IRL rivalry certainly bodes well for the GPWC contingent. In the 2004 dispute, the carmakers are the dissenting voices, just as Tony George was 10 years previously. Their goal is to form a new circuit, just as his was. With the right mix of drivers, business know-how and luck, the consortium could have a real shot at knocking off its rival.

Question: The inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 was the first major non-Indy car race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Who won?